FLEEING FROM THE FIRE
“O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones” (al-Tahrim (66): 6)
He read it out to those around him. A youth from among them fainted when he heard this verse.The Prophet(pbuh) placed his hand on the youth’s heart and the boy regained consciousness. He told the youth to say ‘La ilaha iliaAllah’ and as he said it—the Prophet (pbuh) gave him the good news that he will be among those in Paradise. The Companions asked him, ‘O Messenger of Allah, are there amongst us [those who will enter Paradise]?’ He replied, ‘Have you all not heard the Words of Allah:
“That is for he who fears My position and fears My threat. “ (Ibrahim (14): 14)
A youth went about shouting to the people at night, “Seek protection from the Hellfire.” The Prophet (pbuh) went to him and told him, “You made a large group of Angels cry.”
Sulayman Ibn Suhaym said: ‘I was informed by those who saw Ibn ‘Umar (radi Allahu ‘anhuma) that he would tremble and moan during prayers while reflecting on the verse:
“And when they are thrown into a narrow place therein bound in chains, they will cry out thereupon for destruction.” (al-Furqan (25): 13)
And other verses that make mention of Hellfire.So much so that one who does not know his habits would assume he is possessed.’
In Kitab al-Zuhd of Imam Ahmad, there is narration by ‘Abdul-Rahman Ibn Yazid that he said:‘I asked YazId Ibn Murdith: ‘Why is it that I never see your eyes dry?’ He said: ‘Why do you ask?’ I replied, ‘I hope that Allah will reward me by doing the same.’ He said: ‘O my brother! Allah has promised that He shall imprison me in Hell were I to sin. By Allah, if He were to ordain that I be imprisoned even in a toilet, my eyes will never cease to be wet.’ I asked him again, “You are likewise [weeping] in your prayers.’ He asked, ‘Why do you ask?’ I replied,‘I hope that Allah will reward me by doing the same.’
He then narrated, Yazid Ibn Hawshab said:‘I have not known anyone more fearing of Hellfire than Hasan [al-Basri] and Umar Ibn Abdu’l-Aziz. It is as if they thought Hell was created especially for them!’
Hafs Ibn ‘Umar said that Hasan wept and it was asked what made him weep. He replied,‘1 fear that I will be thrown into Hell and no one will ask about it.’
Hasan used to say, ‘The true believers suppress their sight, hearing and their bodies until they are deemed ill by the ignorant (Jahil), whereas they are those with real hearts ( ashab al-qulub). Have you not heard them say:
“And they will say, ‘Praise to Allah, who has removed from us [all] sorrow.’” (Fatir (35): 34)
They are those who have experienced severe hardship (huzn shadid) in this world as were experienced by those before them. Indeed whatever was given to people did not bother them; what saddened them was the fear of Hellfire.
Harith Ibn Hisham said that he heard Abdullah Ibn Hanzalah one day mention his many short-comings while lying in his bed. A man seated with them recited this verse:
“They will have from Hell a bed and over them coverings [of fire]. And thus do We recompense the wrongdoers.” (Al-A’raf (7): 41)
‘Abdullah started to cry his heart out such that I thought his soul would depart. He then stood up but was reminded to lie down. He replied, ‘The thought of Hell, and it prevents me from lying down. Perchance I might be one of its dwellers.’
‘Abdu’l-Rahman Ibn Mus`ab narrated that when a man standing on the shore of Euphrates he heard someone recite the verse:
“Indeed, the criminals will be in the punishment of Hell, abiding eternally. “ (al-Zukhruf (43): 74)
He started to stagger forward. When he heard the verse:
“It will not be allowed to subside for them, and they, therein, are in despair. “ (al-Zukhruf (43): 75)
He lost consciousness and fell into the river and drowned.
Abu Bakr Ibn ‘Ayash said: “I prayed maghrib led by Fudayl Ibn ‘Iyad, and his son (Ali was praying beside me. Fudhayl read the verse:
“You will surely see the Hellfire. “ (al-Takathur(120): 6)
And immediately ‘Ali fell unconscious. Fudayl could not read beyond that verse and later prayed Salatul khawf (A prayer that is performed while in a state of fear.) with us. He then said: “I wrapped ‘Ali (in garments) but he only gained consciousness in the middle of the night. Fudayl said: ‘I was with Ali one night and as he was in the courtyard, he kept saying, ‘O fire and when is the respite from the fire.’ (Reported by Abu Nu’aym, al-Hilyah, 8/297.)
`Ali was once at the house of Ibn ‘Uyaynah and while there, Sufyan mentioned a hadith that made mention of the Hellfire.‘All was holding a package wrapped in paper that fell from his hand as he gave out a moan and fell on the ground. He did not regain consciousness for a long time. Sufyan said:‘Had I known you were here, I would not have related the hadith!’ ( Reported by Abu Nu’aym, al-Hilyah, 8/298.)
On another occasion, `All was praying in congregation where the Imam read Surah al-Rahman.When it was over,someone asked Ali,‘Did you not ponder on the verse:
“Fair ones reserved in pavilions. “ (al-Rahman(55):72)
‘Ali replied:‘I was too engrossed with the preceding verse:
“There will be sent upon you a flame of fire and smoke, and you will not [be able to] defend yourselves. “ (al-Rahman(55): 35)
Ibn Abl Dhi’b said: ‘Those who have seen ‘Umar Ibn ‘Abdu’l- ‘Aziz when he was the governor of Madlnah told me that once a man read the verse:
“And when they are thrown into a narrow place therein bound in chains, they will cry out thereupon for destruction. “ (al-Furqan (25): 13)
On hearing this,‘Umar Ibn ‘Abdu’l-‘Aziz started to weep until he was overwhelmed and his sobbing grew loud.
Abu Nuh al-Ansari said: ‘In another incident, the house of Husayn Ibn ‘Ali (radiAllahu ‘anhuma) caught fire while he was in prostration to Allah in it.Those around him shouted out,‘O grandson of the Prophet(pbuh), fire! fire!’ He rose from his prostration only after the fire was extinguished. It was asked, ‘What preoccupied you?’He replied,‘The (fear of) the Fire of the Hereafter.’
Ahmad Ibn Abi Al-Hawari heard Abu Sulayman say,‘I imagine that my head is between two mountains of fire and I fall headlong into its depth. So how could I find solace in this world when such is my destiny.’
Sirar Abu ‘Abdullah said:‘I rebuked ‘Ata al-Salami for weeping a lot.’ He replied,‘Why do you rebuke me for something beyond my control, for if I reflect upon the dwellers of Hellfire and the punishment they receive therein,I picture myself amongst them. I imagine how my hands shall be shackled to my neck and then be dragged to Hell. So how do you expect me not to moan and cry thinking about it?’
Mutarraf said: ‘The thought of Hellfire prevents me from imagining the pleasures of Paradise!’
Al-Raqashi read Surah al-Rahman and when he reached the verse:
“They will circulate between it and scalding water, heated [to the utmost degree]. “ (al-Rahman (55): 44)
He started to walk around his house crying and moaning until he fainted. When Mu( adha AHAdawiyah was presented to the groom, Salah Ibn Ashlm, his nephew showed him to the washroom and then later directed him to rest with his new bride in a beautiful house. However the couple spent the whole night standing in worship until dawn. The next morning, the nephew admonished Salah, to which he replied, ‘When you showed me into the washroom it reminded me of Hellfire and when you showed me into this beautiful house,it reminded me of Paradise. All my thoughts were about these two till dawn.’
`Abbas Ibn Walid said that his father narrated, ‘Whenever Al- ‘Awza’i was reminded of Hell, he would preach on and on about it, such that none could ask him any questions until he grew quiet. By this time, all those in the assembly would be in a state of grief.’
Aminah bint Abi All-Wara’ was a pious God-fearing woman. If she pondered on Hellfire,she would say,‘They will enter Hellfire, eat, drink and dwell therein.’ And she would cry her heart out so much and twirl around in sorrow like a bean that pops about on a frying pan.’
‘Abdu’l-Wahid Ibn Zayd said:‘I have not seen people like these (Muslims) we ambushed on the coast. They fled when they saw us, yet we could hear them crying and seeking protection from the Hellfire throughout the night. In the morning we searched for them but could not find them.’
Section Two:
The Change in State of the Righteous Predecessors when Seeing Fire
Allah, the Most High said:
“We have made it a reminder and provision for the travelers. “ (Al-Waqiah (56): 73)
Mujahid said that the fire in this world is a reminder of the Hellfire.
Imam Ahmad reported that Sa’d Ibn al-Akhram said: “I was walking with Ibn Mas’ud (radiyAllahu ‘anhu) one day and we passed by some blacksmiths. One of them drew a blade of steel from the furnace. Upon seeing this Ibn Mas’ud (radiyAllahu ‘anhu) began to sob.
Uways al-Qarni used to watch the blacksmith blow on the hot steel and hear the bellow of the fire. He would scream in fear and fall to the ground.
Whenever a torch was lit for `Umar Ibn al-Khattab (radiyAllahu ( anhu) he used to go near it and say, ‘O the son of Khattab how will you be patient when you encounter this.’
Al-Ahnaf Ibn Qays used to approach his lamp at night and put his finger into it and exclaim, ‘What misery O Ahnaf! How will you account for such and such (bad) action that you committed before.’
Layth narrated that Talhah said: ‘A man removed his clothes and started to roll on the ground saying,‘Taste the fire of Hell! Taste the fire of Hell which is most intense!’
Section Three:
Those whose Fear of Hell gave them Sleepless Nights
Shadad Ibn Aws used to go to bed with much turbulence; like how a bean would pop around in a frying pan. He used to say,‘O Allah!The thought of Hell prevents me from sleeping.’He would then get up to offer prayers in his room.
Abu Sulayman al-Darani said: ‘Thawus would go to bed very distressed and no sooner would he lie down that he would jump up to his feet and start praying. He would do so till morning.’
Al-HarIbn Husayn saw an old man from his tribe who was given one hundred thousand dirham but he refused it saying,‘The fear of Hellfire has removed the sweetness of this world from my heart.’ This old man used to stay vigil at night in prayer while everyone else slept and would cry out, ‘The Fire!The Fire! The Fire!’
A servant boy by the name of Suhayb was reprimanded by his mistress for not sleeping most of his nights. He used to spend them performing prayers and his mistress felt it would affect his health (and ability to work). He replied to her saying, ‘The thought of Paradise makes me yearn and the thought of Hell keeps me awake.’
Sufyan Al-Thawri used to snap out of his sleep, trembling with the fear of Hell. He would ablution and with water dripping from his body say, ‘O Allah! You know my needs and You have no teacher. I seek nothing except that I be freed from the Hellfire.’
`Abdullah Ibn Al-Mubarak similarly said:’The darkness of midnight reveals some who are bowing, with fear having chased away their sleep, so they stood while the people who love this world sleep peacefully.’
Ibn Al-Mubarak also said: ‘And their complexion is yellow as if they are suffering from a sickness arising from a bloated stomach that makes one lethargic. They stay awake to earn the pleasure of Allah at night while others sleep peacefully. They sometimes cry similar to a baby while people wheeze away in contentment. In meetings where Allah is remembered, their eyes are wet from the fear of Allah. ‘
`Abad Ibn Ziyad Al-Tayml had brothers who were pious worshippers. They were afflicted with plague, and it was said they were God-fearing youth who could judge by the Qur’an while they were still children.
`Abad’s body became yellow in complexion and boney due to shunning his bed from fear (of Allah) while the ignorant people slept the whole night. He wept and moaned while standing in prayer at night. And during the day he fasted and read the Qur’an with conviction. He spent his night standing and prostrating in prayer.
Section Four:
Those Whose Fear of Hellfire Prevented them from Laughter
Al-Hajjaj said to Sa’id Ibn Jubayr, ‘I have been informed that you never laugh!’ He replied, ‘How can I laugh when the fire has been lit, the chains are in place and Angels of Hell ( zabaniyah) are on alert.’
‘Uthman Ibn Ahdu’l-Hamid saw that the enemy expedition had set fire to his surroundings. He started to extinguish it and as a result burnt his fingers. He said:’By Allah, even as this worldly fire hurts me,I shall not laugh again until I’m assured that the Fire of Hell shall not afflict me.’
Ibn Abi Dunya reported that Anas (radiyAllahu ‘anhu) said: ‘When the Prophet (pbuh) made his ascension to the Heavens with Angel Jibrll, he heard a loud thudding sound. He asked regarding it and Jibrll replied that it was a stone which fell from the outer edge of Hell and had just reached the bottom after seventy years. The Prophet (pbuh) was not seen laughing after this incident but he used to only smile.
Ibn Hibban reports a hadith narrated by Abu Dharr (radiyAllahu ‘anhu) that he asked the Prophet (pbuh) about the scriptures of Prophet Musa to which he (pbuh) replied, “It was all admonition and I am astonished by he who is merry even as death is lurking, and I am astonished by he who laughs even as Hellfire is certain.”
Section Five:
Those Who Fell ill Due to the Fear of Hellfire
Al-Hasan said that those who fear Hellfire are like burning steel. A person seeing them will say, ‘They are ill!’ Though they look ill, they are not so. He will also say, ‘They have been afflicted.’ It is in fact the people who are afflicted when turning away from the thought of the Hereafter.
`Umar Ibn al-Khattab (radiyAllahu ‘anhu) heard a man reading in the night prayer the following verses:
“Indeed, the punishment of your Lord will occur. Of it there is no preventer. “ (Al-Tur (52): 7-8)
‘Umar exclaimed, This vow, by the Lord of Ka’bah, is truth.’
He went back to his house only to fall ill for a month. People visiting him did not know why he fell ill. It is also said that the illness which claimed the life of ‘Umar Ibn Abdul-Aziz was due to his fear of Hellfire.
It was narrated by Al-Thaqalah that a youth of Madinah was very fearful of the Hellfire.When he was bed-ridden, the Prophet (pbuh) visited him and embraced him. The youth gave a loud sigh and passed away.The Prophet(pbuh) said : “Prepare the body of your brother for indeed the fear of Hellfire has seized him.”
Hafs Ibn ‘Amr Al-Ja’fi said that Dawud Al-Ta’i was complaining one day of not being well and the reason for it was that he heard someone reading a verse of the Qur’an that made mention of Hellfire. He kept repeating the verse throughout the night. In the morning, they found him dead with his head resting on a brick.
Mansur Ibn ‘Ammar was performing his night prayers when a man went past him. At the time, he was reading the verse:
“O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones” (Al-Tahrim (66): 6)
Mansur said: ‘I heard a loud sound and then there was silence.In the morning there was a funeral and I asked an old lady who did not recognise me regarding the death.’ She replied, ‘There was a man, may Allah not reward him (She blamed the death on the person who read the verses which fatally affected her son.) who read a verse from the Book of Allah. My son was overcome by it and fell down dead.’
Another individual named ‘All Ibn Fudayl died from the fear of Hell after hearing the verse:
“If you could but see when they are made to stand before the Fire and will say, ‘Oh, would that we could be returned [to life on earth] and not deny the signs of our Lord and be among the believers. ‘“(Al-An’am (6): 27)
Section Six:
The Fearfulness of the Prophet(pbuh)
Imam Muslim reported in his Sahih on the authority of Anas (radiyAllahu ‘anhu) who narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “In whose hand my soul is, if you had seen what I had seen, you will surely laugh less and cry more.”The Companions asked. ‘And what did you see, O Messenger of Allah?’ He replied, “I saw Paradise and Hell.” (Muslim, #426 and others)
On the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas (radi Allahu ‘anhuma) who narrated that the Prophet of Allah (pbuh) said: “During a solar eclipse I saw the Hellfire. It was a sight more dreadful than anything I have seen before!” This hadith was reported by Bukhari and Muslim.
Ibn ‘Abbas (radi Allahu ‘anhuma) said that if the Hellfire was to be revealed to the people, they would all collapse and die.
Ibn ‘Umar (radiyAllahu ‘anhu) narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) said while giving a sermon, “Do not forget the two tremendous things; Paradise and Hell.” He wept after he said this,so much so that the fringes of his beard were totally wet. He (pbuh) then said: “In whose hand the soul of Muhammad is. If you know what I know, you will indeed climb the highlands and strew dust on your heads.” This hadith was reported in the Musnad of Abi Ya‘la Al-Mawsli.
Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari (radijAllahu ‘anhu) gave a sermon to his people in Basrah.The sermon was about the Hellfire and he wept till his tears fell onto the pulpit.Those listening also wept uncontrollably along with him.
In another incident Umar Ibn Abdul-Aziz realised that one of his men had visibly changed in complexion. He asked him about it,so the man replied that it was due to illness and fatigue.‘Umar asked him the same question thrice to which the man replied the same each time. He then relented and said: “I will admit that it is because I tasted the sweetness of this worldly life only to see its beauty and ambience diminish in my eyes. It’s stones and gold nuggets are equivalent to me. I feel that the people around me are being led to Paradise while I am being driven to Hell and so I spent my nights contemplating in prayer and my days fasting. However, my deeds are all minute compared to the forgiveness and bounty of Allah, the Most High. It is inconsequential compared to the punishment He will mete out to the evil-doers.
Mughith Al-Aswadi used to say, “Visit the graves every day in your thoughts, imagine the daily pleasures of Paradise with your mind, remember the Hereafter with your hearts and look at the parting of ways between the dwellers of Hell and Heaven on the Day of Judgment in anxiety. Let your mind and body feel the atmosphere and repression of Hellfire. ‘
Abu Sulayman Al-Darani said: “That Malik Ibn Dinar left his friends in a room of his house one night and went to the middle of his room. He stood there until the dawn prayer. He later told his friends that while standing in his room, he was reminded of the dwellers of Hell. He added: ‘Those dwellers were showing me their chains and shackles until morning.’
The righteous predecessors (Salaf) have described those who fear Allah thus, ‘When they come across someone reading verses of the Qur’an that make mention of Hell, they scream in fright as though the bellow of the fire was in their ears and that the fire was right under their nose. Verily no true believer has conviction that Hell exists except he feels the world is a constricted place—its vastness notwithstanding.The hypocrite however, does not believe in Hell even if it was to be right behind his back until such time that he is taken by surprise and falls into it.’
Wahb Ibn Munnabih said: ‘There was a pious man from among the Bani Isra’Il who stood praying in the sun so much that his complexion darkened. He told his people this is like the burning of the Hellfire.’ He said:‘If the mere thought of Hell alone leads to this, how then will I fair when seeing it with my naked eye?’
Ibrahim Al-Taymi said: ‘I picture myself inhabiting Paradise; eating its fruits and embracing its virgin maidens. I then picture myself in Hell; eating Zaqum, drinking from pus and being chained and shackled. I asked my soul, ‘What do you desire, O soul?!’ It replied, ‘I want to return to the world and perform good deeds. So I replied, ‘You are safe. Return now and perform!”
By Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali
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